By Dedeigbo Ayodeji
The Enugu state Police Command has arrested a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Umo for allegedly assaulting their 12-year-old daughter, Nnenna Umo.
This is coming barely a week after another couple, Mr Jude and Ifeoma Ozougwu were arrested and charged to court for drilling nail into the head of their 10-year-old house help.
The command’s public relation officer, ASP Ndukwe Daniel said the arrest of the couple was “sequel to information received by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmad AbdurRahman, MCPSS, MCJ, MNIM from National Human Rights Commission, Enugu.
The police spokesman in a statement sent to newsmen also stated that; “preliminary investigation shows that the couple have been abusing and assaulting the child for little or no justifiable reasons by using sticks, electric wires, heels of shoes and so on to mercilessly flog, hit ,and beat her up.
The height of it happened on July ,10 2020 at about 10.30pm when the wife, who is the child’s stepmother, abused and assaulted her to the extent of inflicting her bodily harm on the excuse that she dozed off while slicing onions required for food being prepared the said night.
This led to neighbours, who have found their act of inhuman treatment of the child unbearable, reporting the matter to the Police through National Human Rights Commission.
The Commissioner, while frowning at the unbecoming occurrence of acts of child abuse, assault and inflicting of grievous bodily harm on children, vowed to prosecute the suspects to serve as deterrent to parents/guardians, who intend or have been committing such inhuman acts that infringes upon the personality and fundamental Human Rights of children, especially susceptible ones.
He further warns parents/guardians to desist from maltreating their children/wards at slightest provocation, but instead exercise due caution while punishing them for acts of wrongdoing to avoid causing them bodily harms and/or lifetime physical and psychological trauma.
The police also called on the residents of the State to promptly report any person(s) found committing acts that impinge on the well-being and fundamental Human Rights of vulnerable children to the nearest Police Station or by calling the Command’s hotlines on: 08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202 or 08098880172.
